Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-05-11
THE RECENT UNION.
COMPLETING AN UNDERTAKING OF GREAT
IMPORTANCE.

COMPIE11NG AN ONDEhiAhl4NN Vt OAN11AA
IMPORTANCE.
The last spike was driven q few days
ago in the connection between the tracks
of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe and
the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe systems
at point in the Indian Territory about
100 miles north from the Texas border,
thus completing an undertaking OF
very great Importance. Hither-
to the Missouri Pacific has had
the only railway crossing the
Indian Territory, but this new line runs
through the center of that country from
north to south, distance of about $50
miles, and thus cuts in two region
which has too long been Walledup against
civilization. While the privilege given to
the railway company in the territory in
cludes only right of way and depot
grounds the construction OF great
through railway line will prove a
powerful influence in favor of open
ing that country Of the aborigines
to settlement by white men. But the
completion of this road is still more i'm
portant as giving Galveston and Central
Texas an almost direct line north to Kan
sas and thence to the east, while it also
opens to Southern Kansas a direct route
to the gulf From an examination of the
map it will be seen that the distance from
Wichita, the principal metropolis of south
ern Kansas to Galveston is less than from
Wichita to Chicago, ,and it is not unlikely
that some OF the traffic of Kansas that has
hitherto gone easterly to the lakes
will hereafter be carried to the
gulf and thence by ocean to the eastern
states and Europe. On the other hand,
large amount of traffic from Texas des-
tined for Kansas and the northwest which
now goes over the Missouri Pacific or by
some more easterly route will undoubted-
" take the direct line due north over
the Santa Fe system. The completion
of this connection is also notable because
it signalzes the connection of the two
Santa Fe systems and the accomplish
ment of the bold and far-seeing under
taking of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa
Fe management for the extension OF its
system to the Gulf of Mexico. In pur-
suance of this plan it purchased the Gulf,
Colorado and Santa Fe lines, although at
that time they were separated from the
Atchison system by an unbridged distance
of more than 800 miles. When the work
of filling this great gap was undertaken all
the resources of litigation were invoked,
professedly in the name of stakeholder
but probably in the interest of COM
peting line, to delay and prevent the
execution of the plan; but this effort met
with no favor from the courts, the in
junction asked for being promptly re
fused, and the work of construction was
driven forward from both ends with re-
markable energy. At the commence
ment of the present year only about fifty
miles of the Indian Territory part of
the extension had been built, so that
nearly 200 miles of track have been laid
within four months, while under the
energetic supervision of General Manager
Snyder the last forty-two miles of the ex-
tension from the south were completed
within the remarkably short period OF
twenty-six days Since the commence
ment of 1886 the Gulf, Colorado and
Santa Fe Company has laid about $50
miles of track, and it's system now COM
prises nearly 1000 miles Of lines, with
more to follow.
In this connection it may be noted that
the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe sys-
TEN has already pushed another line
across the Indian Territory from KioWa
in Kanses southwest to Hemphill county,
Texas, distance of over 100 miles, max
| ing the third railway line now crossing
from one border of the territory to the
other Railway Age.